Knock down catamaran unit



y 1955 M. OHIGGINS KNOCK DOWN CATAMARAN UNIT 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1954 MICHAEL o'n i fiwy AT TORNE Y M. O'HIGGINS KNOCK DOWN CATAMARAN UNIT July 5, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1954 M'CHAEL INVENTOR.

OHIGGINS,

ATTORNEY July 5, 1955 oHlGGlNs 2,712,293

KNOCK DOWN CATAMARAN UNIT Filed June 2, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 86 5a 62 i 24 62 2? 86 /0 l 42 M E 42 FIG. 4

5 INVENTOR.

H EE'O'HIGGINS,

ATTORNEY July 5, 1955 OHIGGINS 2,712,293

KNOCK DOWN CATAMARAN UNIT Filed June 2, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VENT OR MICHAEL omssms ATTORNEY United States Patent KNGQK DOWN CATAMARAV UNIT Michaei QHiggins, Washington, D. C.

Appiicatien June 2, 19 5 Seriai No. 433,986

6 Claims. (Ci. 11461) This invention relates to a knockdown unit for converting a pair of twin hulls into a sailing vessel of the catamaran type and has for its primaryobject to connect together twin hulls having gunwales to define a catamaran.

Another object is to facilitate the disassembling of the unit and to enable the parts thereof to be reassembled in a knockdown condition so as to occupy but a minimum amount of space during transportation and storage.

A further object is to enable the unit to be rapidly assembled from its knockdown condition and mounted on twin hulls ready for sailing and to accommodate the supports to hulls of varying widths.

The above and other objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a beam, longitudinally spaced parallel cross arms detachably connected to the beam and extending perpendicularly thereacross, gunwale clamps carried by the cross arms and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends thereof, carriages detachably mounted on the cross arms for movement thereon between the beam and the gunwale clamps, second gunwale clamps carried by the carriages I and extending downwardly therefrom in parallel relation to the first mentioned gunwale clamps, a mast socket carried by the beam and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof, and a rudder demountably connected to the beam and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the mast socket.

Other features include a ,centerboard carried by the beam for movement therebeneath in a vertical arcuate path, struts detachably connected to the cross arms and extending therebetween adjacent opposite ends thereof, and a bowsprit detachably carried'by the beam and extending longitudinally outwardly therefrom adjacent the mast socket.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a unit embodying the features of this invention, showing it assembled and mounted on a pair of twin hulls,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a side view of a catamaran constructed by employing this knockdown unit,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the beam,

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the rudder mount and,

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on the line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail a beam 10 comprises an elongated rectangular plate having a group 12 of four equally spaced openings 14 extending therethrough adjacent one end thereof and a second group 16 of four equally spaced openings 18 extending therethrough adjacent the opposite end thereof. Carried by the beam 10 and extending upwardly therefrom within the group 12 of openings 14 is a mast socket 20 having a set screw 22 extending thereinto and threadedly engaged therewith. Extending Patented July 5, 1955 through the beam 10 adjacent the group 12 of openings 14 is an elongated longitudinally extending slot 24 and welded or otherwise fixed to, the underside of the beam 10 adjacentopposite longitudinal side edges of the slot 24 are spaced parallel side plates 26 which define a pocket for receiving a centerboard to be more fully hereinafter described. Suitable angle braces 28 are welded or otherwise rigidly fixed to the beam 10 and sideplates 26 to reinforce and stiffen the structure. Extending through the side plates adjacent their lower forward corners are aligning openings 30 for receiving a pivot pin 32 upon which is pivotally supported ,a centerboard 34 for movement in a vertical arcuatepath from an active position as shown'in Figure 2 to an inactive position in which it lies wholly within the confines of theplates 26.

Detachably secured to the beam 10 as by bolts 36 which extend through the openings 14 in the group of openings 12 are the spaced parallel rails 38 of the forward cross arm designated generally 40 which extends transversely across the beam 10 in perpendicular relation thereto. Carried by the rails 38 and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends are legs 42 and carried by said legs 42 and extending therebetween adjacent the lower ends therof are clamp pads44 which are adapted to engage the outermost gunwal'es G of a pair of spaced parallel twin hulls H when the unit is in use. Carried by the legs 42 at opposite ends one of the rails 38 of the cross arm 40 are screw threaded studs 46 upn which are mounted for sliding movement clamp jaws 48 carrying clamp pads 50 which cooperate with the adjacent clamp pads 44 in engaging the outer gunwales G of a pair of twin hulls H and clamping the cross arm 40 thereto. Handled nuts 52 are threadedly engaged with the studs 46 for advancing the pads 50 toward the pads 44.

Mounted for sliding movement on the rails 38 between the beam 10 and the legs 42 are upper and lower clamping plates 54 and 56 which define carriages 58 and are clampingly engaged in selected positions on the cross arm 40 by bolts 69 and wing nuts 62. Carried by the lower plate 54 of each carriage 58 is an arm 64 which extends downwardly from its respective carriage and carries at its lower end a clamp pad 66 which is adapted to engage the inner gunwale G of'an adjacent hul-lH. Carried by and extending laterally from the arms 64 are threaded studs 68 upon which clamp jaws 70 are mounted to move. The clamp jaws 70 carry adjacent their lower ends clamp pads 72 which oppose the clamp pads 66 and cooperate therewith in clamping the gunwales G to the arms 64. Handled nuts 74 are threadedly engaged with the studs 68 for advancing the clamp pads 72 toward the clamp pads 66.

Extending through the openings 18 of the group of openings 16 are bolts 76 which extend through spaced openings in spaced parallel rails 78 which define a cross arm designated generally 80 which extends perpendicularly across the beam 10 in spaced parallel relation to the cross arm 40. Carriages 82 constructed identically to the carriages 58 are adjustably secured to the rails 78 by bolts 84 and wing nuts 86 and carried by the carriages 82 and extending downwardly therefrom in parallel relation to the arms 64 are arms which carry at their lower ends clamps identical in construction with the clamps previously described which engage the gunwale G in spaced relation to the clamps carried by the arms 64. Carried by the rails 78 and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends thereof are legs 84 which carry clamps, which conform in all respects to the clamps previously described, for clampingly engaging the 'gunwales G in spaced relation to the cross arm 40.

Struts 86 are detachably connected as by thumb screws 88 to the rails 38 and 78 and extend parallel to the beam 10 between the cross arms 40 and 80 adjacent opposite ends thereof, and extending through each strut 36 adjacent the edge thereof adjacent the beam is a longi tudinal row of longitudinally spaced openings 96 Secured by the bolts 76 adjacent the end of the beam 10 remote from the mast socket is a rudder supporting bracket 92 carrying a rearwardly extending collar 94 having a downwardly and forwardly inclined opening 96 extending therethrough. A tiller 98 is provided adjacent one end with an opening 100 which is adapted to register with the opening 96 and receive a pivot shaft 1122 by means of which the tiller 93 is rotatably connected to the collar 94. Carried by the tiller 98 and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the pivot shaft are spaced parallel side plates 164 having aligned openings 106 extending therethrough for receiving a pivot pin 103 by means of which a rudder 110 is pivotally supported for arcuate movement between said side plates 104. Eyes 112 are carried by the side plates 104 and align axially with the opening 160 in the tiller 98 for cooperation therewith in holding the rudder 116 and side plates 194 in proper position on the pivot shaft 1&2. A stop collar 114 is mounted on the pivot shaft 192 for adjustment longitudinally thereon and is held in a selected position thereon by a thumb screw 116.

Detachably connected by bolts 118 and wing nuts 12% to the beam 10 adjacent the mast socket 20 is a bowsprit 122 which extends longitudinally from the beam, and extending through the beam 10 adjacent opposite longitudinal sides thereof are rows of longitudinally spaced openings 124.

Flexible canvas decks 126 are secured to the cross arms 49 and 80 and to opposite sides of the beam 1% by lacings 128 which lacings extend around certain of the rails 38 and 78 and through the openings 124 in the beam 18 and the openings 90 in the struts 86. The beam 10 and struts 86 are provided at suitable locations with cleats 130 by which the ropes of the rigging may be made fast.

In use the unit is assembled by connecting the cross arms 40 and 80 to the beam 10 as previously described and connecting the rudder supporting bracket 92 in place as set forth. The struts 36 are then connected to the cross arms 49 and 80 to define a structure which is substantially square in plan. The clamps carried by the legs 42 and 84 are then engaged with the outermost gunwales G of a pair of spaced parallel twin hulls H after which the carriages 58 and 82 are moved along their respective cross arms to permit engagement of the clamps carried thereby with the gunwales G of the hulls H. The carriages are then clamped in place by their respective clamping nuts 62 and 86 and the bowsprit 122 is connected to the beam 10 by the bolts 118 and wing nuts 120. The tiller 93 is then mounted on the collar 94 with the openings 96 and 166 in registration after which the shaft 192 is passed through the aligned openings and the eyes 112 to pivotally support the rudder assembly in place. After thus assembling the unit a mast M may be inserted in the mast socket and suitable sails S may be mounted on the mast M.

Owing to the fact that the cross arms 40 and 80 are substantially equal inlength to the beam 10 and that the struts 86 are also equal in length to the beam 10 it will be obvious that when the device is knocked down for transportation or storage it will occupy but a minimum of space.

What is claimed is:

1. A knockdown unit for converting a pair of twin hulls having gunwales into a sailing vessel of the catamaran type comprising a beam, longitudinally spaced parallel cross arms detachably connected to the beam and extending perpendicularly thereacross, a mast socket e carried by the beam and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof, a rudder detachably connected to the beam and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the mast socket, gunwale engaging clamps carried by the cross arms and ex- 4: tending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends thereof, carriages detachably and adjustably carried by the cross arms between the beam and the gunwale engaging clamps, and second gunwale engaging clamps carried by the carriages and extending downwardly therefrom for cooperation with the first mentioned gunwale engaging clamps in holding twin hulls in spaced parallel relation beneath the cross arms and on opposite sides of the beam.

2. A knockdown unit for converting a pair of twin hulls having gunwalesinto a sailing vessel of the catamaran type comprising a beam, longitudinally spaced parallel cross arms detachably connected to the beam and extending perpendicularly thereacross, a mast socket carried by the beam and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof, a rudder detachably connected to the beam and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the cnd thereof remote from the mast socket, gunwaie engaging clamps carried by the cross arms and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends thereof, carriages detachably and adjustably carried by the cross arms between the beam and the gunwale engaging clamps, and second gunwale engaging clamps carried by the carriages and extending downwardly therefrom for cooperation with the first mentioned gunwale engaging clamps in holding twin hulls in spaced parallel relation beneath the cross arms and on opposite sides of the beam, and struts detachably connected to the cross arms and extending therebetween adjacent opposite ends thereof.

3 A knockdown unit for converting a pair of twin hulls having gunwales into a sailing vessel of the catamaran type comprising a beam, longitudinally spaced paral el cross arms detachably connected to the beam and extending perpendicularly thereacross, a mast socket carried by the beam and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof, a rudder detachably connected to the beam and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the mast socket, gunwale engaging clamps carried by the cross arms and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends thereof, carriages detachably and adjustably carried by the cross arms between the beam and the gunwale engaging clamps, and second gunwale engaging clamps carried by the carriages and extending downwardly therefrom for cooperation with the first mentioned gunwale engaging clamps in holding twin bulls in spaced parallel relation beneath the cross arms and on opposite sides of the beam, and a bowsprit detachably connected to the cross arm adjacent the mast socket and extending outwardly therefrom in substantial alignment with the beam.

4. A knockdown unit for converting a pair of twin hulls having gunwales into a sailing vessel of the catamaran type comprising a beam, longitudinally spaced parallel cross arms detachably connected to the beam and extending perpendicularly thereacross, a mast socket carried by the beam and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof, a rudder detachably connected to the beam and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the mast socket, gunwale engaging clamps carried by the cross arms and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends thereof, carriages dctachably and adjustahly carried by the cross arms between the beam and the gunwale engaging clamps, and second gunwale engaging clamps carried by the carriages and extending downwardly therefrom for cooperation with the first mentioned gunwale engaging clamps in holding twin hulls in spaced parallel relation beneath the cross arms and on opposite sides of the beam, said beam having an elongated longitudinal slot extending therethrough adjacent the mast socket, spaced parallel plates carried by the beam and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite sides of the slot to define a centerboard receiving pocket, and a centerboard pivotally mounted on the plates for movement between the plates from an active position in which the rear end of the centerboard extends below the centerboard pocket to an inactive position in which the centerboard lies wholly within said pocket.

5. A knockdown unit for converting a pair of twin hulls having gunwales into a sailing vessel of the catamaran type comprising a beam, longitudinally spaced parallel cross arms detachably connected to the beam and extending perpendicularly thereacross, a mast socket carried by the beam and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof, a rudder detachably connected to the beam and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the mast socket, gunwale engaging clamps carried by the cross arms and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends thereof, carriages detachably and adjustably carried by the cross arms between the beam and the gunwale engaging clamps, and second gunwale engaging clamps carried by the carriages and extending downwardly therefrom for cooperation with the first mentioned gunwale engaging clamps in holding twin hulls in spaced parallel relation beneath the cross arms and on opposite sides of the beam, and struts detachably connected to the cross arms and extending therebetween adjacent opposite ends thereof, and the cross arms and the struts being of a length substantially equal to the length of the beam so that when the unit is disassembled and prepared for transportation or storage the ends of the beam, the cross arms and the struts will be substantially conterminous.

6. A knockdown unit for converting a pair of twin hulls having gunwales into a sailing vessel of the catamaran type comprising a beam, longitudinally spaced parallel cross arms detachably connected to the bearri and extending perpendicularly thereacross, a mast socket carried by the beam and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent one end thereof, a rudder detachably connected to the beam and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent the end thereof remote from the mast socket, gunwale engaging clamps carried by the cross arms and extending downwardly therefrom adjacent opposite ends thereof, carriages detachably and adjustably carried by the cross arms between the beam and the gunwale engaging clamps, and second gunwale engaging clamps carried by the carriages and extending downwardly therefrom for cooperation with the first mentioned gunwale engaging clamps in holding twin hulls in spaced parallel relation beneath the cross arms and on opposite sides of the beam, and struts detachably connected to the cross arms and extending therebetween adjacent opposite ends thereof to define a rectangular frame on each side of the beam, and a canvas deck demountably supported by each frame and extending across a hull above the top thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 233,919 Coloney Nov. 2, 1880 1,093,196 Lombardi Apr. 14, 1914 2,396,148 Bean Mar. 5, 1946 2,669,733 Picker Feb. 23, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 660,148 Great Britain Oct. 31, 1951 

